Dogs and Demons
by Cheshire's Chipped Cup
Summary: This is about a month and a half after the last story, Theres Something Wrong. It takes place in Larxene's time as a wolf, I did my research so the facts in here are true. Enjoy!
1. Life as a wolf

**Well here it is! Dogs and Demons chapter 1. This story not only takes after the first story, Theres Something Wrong, but it opens up to whole load of new charaters, so enjoy and review! Hearing what you think is really good for encouragement, lol.**

Axel pulled the covers over his shoulders for the fifth time that night. "Larxene, would you mind not hogging so much of the covers all night, you don't even need it you furry bitch" he said with a small laugh. The large white wolf that was lying next to him slid her muzzle closer to him and licked his face. "Stop it, now I have dog slobber on my face, thanks a lot" he said in a joking way, but Larxene didn't take so kindly to that remark. She got up and moved to the end of the bed where she lay down and snorted.

"Hey, don't take it like that, I'm sorry ok" Axel tried to apologize, but Larxene was too tired for this game. She opened her jaws wide to reveal sharp, white teeth and gave a silent yawn. Axel sighed as he watched his love pretend to ignore him as she went back to sleep. It hadn't been as bad as it could have been, but spending every night like this for the past month and a half was really tiring.

Larxene had been a wolf for so long, everyone had lost all hope of her ever turning back into a human, but at least it meant that they didn't have to wait nearly a year for the unwanted baby inside of her to be born. In fact the baby would be born in only two weeks, but no one knew whether it would be born human or wolf, considering the mother had been a wolf for most of the pregnancy.

Four hours later, the sun rose above the clouds, the bright light streaking through the gaps between the tall skyscrapers of 'The World that Never Was'. Axel opened his eyes and lazily looked around the room, something was missing. "Larxene? Where are you girl?" he said, waiting for the great white wolf to come and give him a kiss, as she always did to greet him in the morning but maybe she had greeted him so many times last night she was too tired to get up now.

Axel brushed sleeping sand from the corners of his eyes and sat up to see where Larxene was. But when he looked beside him, then to the end of the bed, the only sign of her being there last night was a dent in the blanket where she had slept.

He pulled himself out of bed and got dressed. He then made his way to the kitchen for some breakfast, maybe Larxene was there. When he entered he saw all his mates around the table eating, but no sign of a furry white wolf. "Hey, has anyone seen Larxene this morning?" Axel asked as he put his hand on Demyx's shoulder. "Yeah, she's in the meeting room on the couch, do you think you could talk to her about that by the way, there's fur every where" he said, Axel smiled "sorry pal, remember, she's still Larxene and its not like she wanted to spend the rest of her life as a dog" he said, then walked into the meeting room.

Larxene was lying on her side on one of the couches; she snorted and raised her ear as she heard Axel enter the room. "Hey baby, Demyx isn't happy with the furry gifts you've been leaving behind, anything we can do about that?" he said with a broken smile. Larxene snorted again and lifted her head off the couch to lick at Axel's sad smile.

"Never mind then" he said then sat down next to her. Larxene put her muzzle on his leg, this was her way of showing her affection and love for him, unfortunately there wasn't much else she could do. "So how's that baby going? Or is it a pup?" he said as he stroked her back. Larxene lifted her head and nuzzled Axel's neck. Axel smiled sadly again and said "I know honey, I wish it was my baby too" Larxene looked sadly at her lover, and then patted his leg with her paw.

Things hadn't been the worst, but they hadn't been the best either. Larxene could understand everything that Axel was saying, but he could only understand some of her actions. It was really hard for them, Larxene was pregnant with a baby that she had never wanted, not to mention the father was someone both of them hated and had been responsible in killing. But she could never tell Axel how much she loved him, all she could do was nuzzle or lick his face and that hardly said much.

Larxene stood up, jumped off the couch and onto the floor to stretch. She gave a toothy yawn and walked over to the door. She sniffed about for a minute, and then looked over at Axel as she started scratching at the door.

Axel smiled as he hopped off the couch and opened a portal. "Walk time huh?" he said with a chuckle, Larxene gave him a twisted grin and walked up to the portal. "Ladies first" he said, and she walked through proudly. Axel smiled a sigh to her then followed her through.

The portal opened in the middle of Twilight Town, it was so busy in the square that no one seemed to notice. Axel came out a few seconds after Larxene, closed the portal and walked through the crowd in the direction of the ice-cream shop.

Larxene walked right behind Axel, on guard for the many people who would often try to buy her and the male dogs who always got too close. But sadly luck was not in their favour today, she thought as a well known animal trainer named Kurt, approached Axel, blocking his path. "Just name your price dear friend; I'll give you anything for such a beautiful wolf" Kurt said as he started pulling out thousand dollar packs.

Axel sighed, "For the millionth time this week Kurt, Larxene is not for sale. I would not sell her for all the money in the world" he said very clearly to the man. Larxene looked lovingly up at Axel; he was the best guy she could have ever wished for.

Kurt hadn't been listening though, so he handed around 3 million out to Axel. Axel's eyes widened at the amount, but he pushed it away. His love may be a wolf, but he would not part with her. Kurt was getting rather sick of this so he made one final offer. "If you won't sell her, then how about you two come and work for me in my training grounds? I need someone to help out around the place and I would pay you well for your work. You could bring your Lassie down and she could learn a few tricks to entertain the visitors I get. She would be completely in your ownership, and a wolf as pretty as this lassie would surely bring in the buyers" he said with a hopeful smile.

Axel was about to say no, but then he began to think about it, this could actually be a really good thing for Larxene and him. Larxene was a bit disappointed that he did not share his thoughts at this point. "Ok, we'll do it. But only if Larxene remains completely in my ownership, if I want to pull her out any time for whatever reason I can, ok?" Axel said. Larxene suddenly looked up at him with shock. _What the hell does he think he's doing?_ She asked herself.

Axel held out his hand to Kurt and he shook it gratefully. Then he walked off happily to find his next buy. Axel smiled down at Larxene, but she didn't seem so happy about it and she showed this by growling at him. "Don't worry Larxene, this is gonna be great, I'll explain it to you later" Axel said, and then continued on his way to the ice-cream shop.

Larxene followed him through the crowds, only ever a few steps behind him. She was still trying to figure out how working for Kurt could be a good thing, but she only hurt her head.

After buying a box of sea-salt flavoured ice-creams, Axel and Larxene went to the station. Every time Axel had tried to sneak Larxene on to the train, they had been caught by the ticket-lady, but this time they had a plan.

"One ticket to Sunset Hill please" Axel said as he put the money on the bench, Larxene was hiding against the wall. But the lady noticed her anyway. "I'm sorry, we don't allow pets on the train" she said firmly. Axel pretended to look confused. "What are you talking about? Oh, that dog. That's not mine. I don't even know who it belongs to, it could be the station manager's dog for all I know" Axel said. That seemed to work as the ticket-lady stopped the accusing look she was throwing at Axel. The station manager did have a dog that sometimes rode on the trains, but she had never seen it before. What if it was the manager's dog and she didn't caused trouble by not allowing this man on the train. Then she would get into trouble if she didn't let the dog on.

Axel smirked down at Larxene as he watched the ticket-lady fondle with her pen and stationary, he had really mixed her up this time. The lady passed a ticket through the hole in the glass board that separated her from the customers. Axel took it with a smile and walked into the station.

Larxene walked in after him and sat next to his feet. "Check it out Larxene, it actually worked; now there's nothing stopping us from going on the train ride to Sunset Hill. Larxene titled her head to one side and made a short whining noise. Axel laughed, "I know it would have been easier to portal there, but where's the fun in that?" he said with a smile.

When the train arrived, Larxene snuck on by burying herself amongst the crowds of people getting on and off. When Axel was finally able to get on the train, he spotted Larxene sitting at the back of the train carriage. He went down and sat next to her.

Axel stroked Larxene's head as they waited for the train to leave the station, she lay down on his lap and rubbed her head against the woollen jumper he was wearing, and then slowly drifted off to sleep. She woke with a jolt when a loud noise sounded through the train. She nearly jumped off Axel's lap.

"Its ok Larxene, it's just the train bell, nothing to be scared of" Axel assured her, but the volume of the bell through the ears of a wolf was terrible. The train stopped at the station and the moment the doors opened crowds of people stared getting on. Axel took one look at the scene and sighed, "You'd think they seem to eager to get away from Sunset Hill, and its meant to be such a lovely place" he said, Larxene licked his ear and smiled.

When the crowds settled down a bit, the two got off the train and stared down the steps. By the time Larxene got to the bottom, she was panting heavily, her pregnancy tired her out all the time; she could no longer do all the things she used to. But it wouldn't last; once the pup was born she would become stronger once again.

Axel knelt down to her eye level and gave her a soft pat on the head. He would always get down to her level as it made her feel more important, more human and Axel wanted to keep as much human in her as possible.

"Need a rest already? We only just got off the train, if this keeps up we'll never make it to the top" Axel said sadly. Larxene looked up at the tall hill and slumped to the ground, it made her tired just looking at it. Suddenly Axel snapped his fingers and said "what if we ride the tram to the other side of town, then portal up the hill, that way you can get a rest and wont have to worry about getting up the hill" he said, Larxene suddenly jumped up at Axel and gave him a lick on the nose.

Once they made it to the top of the hill, Axel sat down in front of the white fence that bordered the top of the hill. He smiled as he admired the view of the sun. Larxene padded over and lay down next to Axel; she too stared out at the sun. Axel chuckled and said in a sweet voice "They say that the sunset looks even more beautiful when you watch it with someone you love, and right now I don't think it has ever looked more beautiful", Larxene looked up at him with adoring eyes.

"Now why would you say that to a dog?" the voice startled both Axel and Larxene, it had come from an old man who had been silently sitting on the bench next to the statue. They both looked surprised at the old man; they hadn't noticed he was there. "Well, because I really love Larxene, even if she is a dog…sometimes" he added, causing Larxene to nip him playfully for it.

The old man smiled, "Well, that's a story worth telling" he said with a cheerful grin. Axel smiled apologetically and said "you wouldn't believe it if you saw it with your own eyes" but the man only laughed. "Try me, I've seen things many would never imagine in my time, lots of magic and love" he said. This surprised Axel, most people around here only believed in the kind of magic of love and beauty, not the other kind that comes zapping out of people's fingers.

So Axel told the old man the story of how he and Larxene had fallen in love and how she had turned into a wolf and hadn't been able to change back. All the while he listened inattentively without interrupting once. When the story was over, the old man sat thinking for a few minutes.

"I can't imagine what it must be like for you two. Not being able to tell each other how much you really love one another, at least you still _have_ each other" he said, and then began thinking about something that would put a smile on both their faces.

"Do you suppose that, because Larxene used her baby's powers to take that shape that once the baby is born she might change back into her human self again. She may even get to keep some of the power so that she could change back and forth whenever she pleases. It would make sense, the baby has a hold on her powers but it was not protecting its own, and that has somehow set you into a sort of lock, where you can't change back. But once the baby is born it can no longer control your powers. And since you have been a wolf for so long it have meddled with your DNA by now" he said with a smile.

Axel and Larxene had never thought that deeply about it, but this man had pulled out a premonition of Larxene's future from a story that they had lived. "Could that really happen? Could she really be human again?" Axel asked excitedly, the old man nodded and Axel gave him a thankful look. Larxene on the other hand had a different way of showing her appreciation, she jumped up and gave the man a quick lick on the cheek before jumping into Axel's arms. Both men laughed as Larxene's excited behaviour continued. "Your welcome young lady" the old man said kindly.

That night, Axel and Larxene lay on the bed, thinking of the days events. The idea that Larxene might be human again when the baby was born really excited the two. The pup was due in only 2 short weeks. Then Axel remembered something. "Larxene, I forgot, I still need to explain to you why I said yes to Kurt today" he said calmly, Larxene perked her ears up and looked over at Axel.

"You see if we work for Kurt, then not only can we earn lots of money, we can keep all those other buyers off of ours backs. Plus when the pup is born, Kurt is definitely going to try and claim it, we can sell it to him and then we can leave. We'll have lots of money and we wont have to worry about the pup, you know Kurt does take care of his animals even though he seems like a money-loving twerp" Axel explained, Larxene had at first been a bit pissed off, but now she understood. She wanted nothing to do with this pup, she hadn't wanted it before and she did not want it now.

**I'm sorry for making her sound so bitter in this part, more bitter then she is given credit for.**


	2. Time in a tent

**Here is chapter 2, I'm sorry for taking so long. I have already got thr 3rd story twirling around in my head and it was hard to concentrate on this story, but I think I did ok. Enjoy and review!  
**

The next day, Axel and Larxene went to Kurt's training grounds. They entered the front gate of the place. It was tall and firm, Kurt did not want any of his animals escaping. As they walked past the many animals, Larxene walked side by side with Axel, holding her head high. She needed neither collar nor leash.

They met Kurt in a large house at the back of the grounds; he quickly whisked Axel into a tent of tiger cubs that he would be working with. Then guided Larxene into another tent, one with lots of different types of wolves sleeping in cages. Kurt quickly set up a table with a large cage on top. He moved it right up against a similar cage that housed a large black wolf. "In girl, get in here" Kurt said reassuringly but hurried, he wanted her to get in the cage as quickly as possible. Larxene shot a glare of suspicion at Kurt as she walked proudly up the ramp and into the cage that she would be living in for the next week and a half.

As soon as the last hairs from her tail were through the door, Kurt shut the cage and put a large padlock on it, Larxene wasn't going anywhere. She waited until he left the tent before taking her gaze off his back. Larxene slumped down in the cage and began sniffing anxiously around the cage.

Suddenly she heard a loud sniffing noise above her ear; she recognized it as an animal noise and guessed it was the black wolf that was sitting in the cage next to hers. Larxene jolted her head up and snapped at the young male wolf, he didn't shrink away in fear however. The black wolf pulled his head out of Larxene's biting range, but he continued to sniff at her. Larxene was thoroughly confused as normally, whenever she snapped at another dog they backed off, but this one was more confident.

Suddenly the black wolf stared laughing while saying between breathes "ha ha ha, that guy is so stupid! I thought his track of time was bad but this takes the cake!" Larxene tipped her head and whined. "Who are you talking about?" she asked in a bitter voice, but the black didn't react.

"Kurt, the guy who put you in the cage. The reason you're in that cage is for breeding purposes. Kurt wants you to have a pup that he legally keep, if I'm the father he can keep the pup or buy it if need. But the stupid thing about that plan is that you're already pregnant! Ha ha!" he said with a grin on his face.

Larxene was shocked, thank god she had the pup, or she would be put with hound dog. "So what happens if he finds out that I'm already pregnant?" she asked, the black wolf smiled. "Nothing, he'll just think it's my pup. He's a real idiot, he has no sense of time and would easily confuse a week for a month!" he started laughing again, making fun of his owner seemed to be his way of entertaining himself.

"Does that mean that I could just give him the pup and pass it for yours?" Larxene asked quietly, the black wolf stopped laughing and looked strangely at Larxene. "Why would you want to give him your pup in the first place? Don't you want it?" he asked seriously. Apparently giving your pups up, especially at birth, was almost a crime in the canine world. It was just like leaving the pup to fend for it's self in the forest, a selfish act.

"I don't want anything to do with this pup. Its father tried to kill my boyfriend and nearly killed me. I want this creature out of my life, so that I can be with my boyfriend again" Larxene explained. This serious talk had killed the black wolf's humour.

"Wow, he must have been a pretty bad guy. What happened to get you in that situation?" he asked, Larxene was at first confused, and then she realised that she had only told him half the story. "I'm not a real wolf, I'm human. My boyfriend is the one who acts like my owner, and the pup's father, he's dead. He attacked Axel and I used the pup's powers to take the form of a wolf so that I could fight him and I did" she explained.

The black wolf listening to this with great interest, he had grown up in these grounds and had never seen magic. "Wow that is really cool. So you came here only to give birth to your pup and leave it here in Kurt's hands? Sounds great but he won't like that. He'll think that you and your boyfriend tried to trick him or something. But you could still pass it off as mine. What colour fur did the pup's father have?" he asked, Larxene was a little unsure about where this plan was going, but she decided she'd give it a try.

"Black, pitch black" she said. The black wolf smiled and said "well then there's nothing to worry about, I have black fur too so that's covered. You will have to act a little bit, you know like pretending to be my mate. Not much to do just laze about on the ground in front of me or nuzzle my head every once in a while. You ok with that?" he asked, Larxene thought about this for a while. If she did those things would Axel find out and get really confused, maybe even remove her from the grounds? It didn't matter; she would explain it to him when she became human again.

Larxene lifted her head towards the black wolf and nodded, he smiled and said "by the way, I'm Carlos" he held his head high with pride. "Larxene" she said with a sort of curtsey of the head.

Larxene and Carlos made slight contact that day, occasionally touching noses when Kurt entered the tent but other then that, they spent their time sleeping.

The next morning, Kurt put both wolves into a large area built to resemble a wolf's natural habitat. Carlos sniffed around a little bit, then bounded off into the forest. Larxene was less enthusiastic as she stepped out of her cage. It was strange to feel the long grass weaving its way through her toes. She sniffed the ground for a few seconds before following Carlos into the forest. She followed his scent to a small cavern. Carlos was sitting in the shade waiting for her. Larxene was slightly unsure about their plan as she walked slowly into the cavern.

She sniffed the ground before lying down and placing her head on her paws. "And what happens now?" she asked quietly as she looked up at Carlos watching the path closely. "We wait until tomorrow morning when he takes us back to the tent" he paused for a moment as he looked down at her calmly "then we just wait for the pup's birth" he finished.

Larxene soon fell into a deep sleep. She was walking through a gorgeous hallway built with crystals and gems of every kind. Axel was walking next to her, watching their path carefully. Suddenly Calax came out from nowhere in his wolf form. He bared his teeth and leapt into the air where he plunged his claws into Axel's chest. Axel fell to the ground and closed his eyes. Larxene almost screamed as she sat bolt upright in the dark, Axel's death appearing to be nothing but a nightmare.

Larxene looked over at Carlos as he slept peacefully. She quietly got up and walked out of the cavern. She looked up at the tall trees looming over her in the night. The moon's light beamed brightly through the holes between the leaves and branches, giving the forest floor a watery scene. She sniffed the ground and began following a scent towards a river.

Larxene padded through the forest with her nose to the ground, she couldn't quite tell what it was that she was tracking but it made he mouth water. She could hear the sound of water rushing over rocks and pebbles, splashing against its self in the silent night. Larxene lifted her head as the trail ended; the water had washed it away. She looked around at the replica of a real forest, it was pretty accurate.

Suddenly, something moved by the river, it was small and almost round. Larxene quietly took a few steps closer to try and get a better look. _It's a rabbit, what's a rabbit doing in a fake forest?_ She asked herself. Kurt probably put it here, part of the _'just like home'_ touch to the fake forest.

The rabbit hadn't noticed her presence yet; it rubbed its ears with its paws, cleaning its self probably. Larxene was about to leave the rabbit to its chores when she started to feel strange. Her nose kept sniffing eagerly at the rabbits scent, her mouth was watering and she couldn't take her eyes off the furry animal. The instincts of a wolf were taking over, her belly growled hungrily and her claws started quietly scratching at the ground.

Larxene very quietly placed her left paw in front of her right and leaned forward slightly, her muzzle reaching towards the rabbit. She placed another foot forward and slowly opened her jaws. She wasn't that far away from the rabbit, she took another step and within seconds had her teeth placed behind the rabbit's neck.

She was about to bite down when a breeze brushed against her fur, any human would have ignored it but the direction of the wind was a huge part of hunting. The wind was blowing towards the rabbit, carrying her scent right into the rabbit's nose. It froze then struck its paws out in an attempt to jump forward but Larxene's jaws caught the rabbit's neck before it could take a step. It wiggled about in her grip, trying to get free. One quick bite and the animal hung lifeless from her mouth.

Larxene placed the body on the ground and began slicing her teeth into the soft meat; the taste of blood was surprisingly satisfying. She ate the rabbit in a few short minutes; she smiled proudly to herself, proud with her first kill, as a wolf anyway.

But as she licked the last drops of blood from her lips she began to realise that she had become completely wolf then, there had been nothing human about that kill. As exciting as that hunt had been, she didn't want to do it again. If she became too much like a wolf then she may not be able to become human again and that was one thing that Larxene wanted more then anything.

She sat by the river for a while, she watched the water slide softly over and around each rock making hardly a sound. She started thinking about how when things change they stay that way. Like when a foal grows into a horse, it will never be a foal again. Or like the leaves in autumn, they change colour then fall to the ground. How whenever something changes it's usually for the best, what if it was the same with her. Was she ever meant to become human again?

Fate is the one thing that never changes, if something is meant to happen then it will and there's nothing you can do about. What if this was her fate. Larxene trailed off out of her thoughts as she heard the sound of paws padding slowly at the cold ground. She was alert at first but calmed down as she saw Carlos walking slowly towards her.

Carlos's black fur shimmered in the soft moon light. His gold eyes glowed as they drew in all the available light into his eyes, making the dark forest seem as light as day through his eyes. He walked up to Larxene and sat down beside her. "What are you doing out here Larxene? You were asleep in the cavern last time I checked then you were nowhere to be found" he said quietly as the soft sound of sleeping animals crowded around them.

"I tracked a rabbit from outside the cavern to this river. I killed and ate it before I realised how I was behaving. I don't know what it was but the scent of the rabbit stopped me from leaving, and after I killed the rabbit I just ate it without a second thought" Larxene explained calmly. Carlos chuckled slightly and said "you are really starting to become a real wolf. The night is one of the best times for a wolf to hunt as it is so dark and we can see so well. Then how you ate the rabbit as soon as you killed it is natural. Wolves, like dogs, will eat food when they find it as they never know when their next meal will be. But why does it bother you that you are a natural hunter?" he asked as he gave her a confused stare.

Larxene thought about the question a bit before answering. "Every day I become more and more like a wolf and less like a human. But it has only started to really show within the last couple of days and I don't know if there will be enough human in me to change back after the pup is born" she said, staring down at the river again. Carlos tried to say something to reassure her but nothing came to mind.

Instead, the two wolves lay at the edge of the river until the sun rose into the sky. Larxene had fallen asleep just before sunrise; she lay with her head hanging over the edge of the river. She opened her eyes and almost fell into the river as she jumped up with surprise of the water that had brushed against the top of her head. She shook her head to shake off the water, and then yawned.

Carlos sat next to a tree on the other side of the river; he had a rabbit hanging from his jaws with a look of boredom glazed upon his face. When he saw Larxene stir he got up and jumped over to her side of the river, where he placed the rabbit at her feet. She raised an eyebrow curiously as he stepped away from the meal and sat down about a foot away. Larxene swapped glances between the rabbit and Carlos. When Carlos got the message that she was confused he laughed.

"I forgot, you aren't completely wolf yet. This gesture means that I am giving you this food and that I am going to stay over here and let you eat in peace" he explained. Larxene smiled thankfully, but turned her attention to the sky and left the meat on the ground. Now it was Carlos's turn to be confused. "What is it? Don't you want the food?" he asked almost hurt by her gesture. "There's nothing wrong with it if that's what you mean, but I don't really feel like eating right now. I was thinking about Axel and how long it is until the pup is born" she said as she returned her gaze to the sky.

Carlos sighed and ate the meat himself so it would not be wasted. Then he lay next to Larxene and stared blankly at her. "You know, it may be harder for you to leave your pup then you think. It's easier for humans but for animals it just feels wrong. You will most likely create an instant connection to your pup and won't be able to leave its side for weeks" he said with a voice of wisdom.

Larxene already knew this, already she felt a slight connection to the unborn pup and even though she tried to ignore it, it clung to her heart. What if she was not able to leave the pup, then that would create problems between Kurt and Axel. But she couldn't really leave the pup with Kurt anyhow, as it was bound to change into a human at some point and if she did change back after the birth, how was she going to explain her human form.

Larxene could feel her head start to hurt and she decided to leave the subject for a later date.

A few hours later, Kurt took the two wolves back to the tent and put them both into a large cage that was twice the size of the others. Carlos and Larxene would stay here until the fake forest had been set up to resemble an ideal area to raise a wolf pup; he even had the other wolves in the tent prepared to live there as the sense of a pack would be needed.

Larxene spent the next few days sitting in the cavern, awaiting the birth of her pup.

Axel had become a little bored taking care of tiger cubs day after day. They were beginning to grow teeth and he had a bandage on one hand where he had been bitten numerous times by a hungry tiger cub. He wanted to see Larxene, he missed her so much. The predicted date of birth of the pup drew closer, now only mere hours away.

Axel put the cub he was holding back into its cage and locked it. He slid outside of the tent and made his way through the maze of cages, trying to locate where the wolf tent was. After a few hours of getting himself lost, he tried to find his way to the main entrance where he would be able to find Kurt's house and find a map of the grounds inside.

He opened the door slowly and walked into the dark house. He found Kurt's desk in the first room with papers flung all over the place. "This might take a while" he said to himself as he started looking through the mess. He was about to give up when he saw a piece of folded paper on the corner of the desk, he picked it up and opened it. It was a bird's eye view of the grounds and according to the notes left on the corner of the map, Larxene and some other wolves had been moved to a large fake forest in at the edge of the grounds.

Axel followed the map to the fake forest and stopped at the edge of the replica. He looked between the trees and spotted movement among the bushes. So he walked into the forest and soon found himself lost there as well. The forest was very large and the whole place looked the same apart from the cavern and the river.

Axel had found the river and decided to sit down and think for a while. He sat on the soft grass and began to study the map. It didn't help much though. But instead of him finding Larxene, something found him.

The sound was very faint at first but as Axel focused on it he could tell that it was a growl, coming from some bushes in front of him. Axel stayed perfectly still as the growls grew louder, then started to echo themselves. Whatever was behind the bushes, there was more then one.

Axel focused his eyes on the dark shape that moved slowly among the trees, it was a wolf. One of the wolves that Kurt owned probably, but then why was it growling at him? Axel relaxed a little as the growling stopped, but it did not last long.

A grey wolf jumped from behind a tree and landed in front of Axel. He jumped up and instinctively summoned his weapons to his side. The wolf backed down a bit at the site of the sharp metal Axel was twirling on his fingers. "Back off!" Axel yelled at the wolf, it responded with a sharp growl and bared teeth. The wolf lowered her body closer to ground and leaned back as if preparing to sling-shot herself at Axel, but a loud bark from another wolf stopped her.

Axel turned his head towards the source of the sound, a large black wolf stood on a tall rock. It had gold eyes and a proud posture, he reminded Axel of Calax. The black wolf jumped off the rock and stood in front of the grey she-wolf. No anger was shown but a soft growl came from the black wolf. The grey she-wolf growled an apology and ran off into the forest.

Axel was thoroughly confused; he dismissed his weapons and knelt down to the black wolf's level. "Who are you fella?" he asked as he looked at the large wolf. He tapped Axel's arm with his paw and ran next to a tree that marked the path towards the cavern, now the wolves den. Axel didn't understand the black wolf's behaviour at first as he barked and bounced about like an excited puppy. But as the wolf started running back and forth in and out of the forest, Axel got the message that the wolf wanted him to follow him.

"OK, take me where I'm needed fella" Axel said as he followed the black wolf through the forest. When they were nearly to the entrance to the cavern, the wolf stopped and sat down. Axel was a bit surprised by this behaviour as the wolf had been running at full speed only a second ago. A brown wolf stepped out of the cavern and studied Axel for a moment before biting the cuff of Axel's pants.

"What do you want?" Axel asked as the wolf pulled his leg to the cavern. Axel was getting a bit annoyed with the communication the wolves were giving him. The brown wolf let go and ran over to sit next to the black wolf once Axel was standing at the entrance to the cavern. Axel waited for a minute to see if they wanted anything else, but when the black wolf barked encouragingly to him, he entered the cavern.

Axel at first couldn't see a thing as he crawled into the cavern, small stones and dirt pricked at his hands and knees. He could hear soft breathing in the darkness; he couldn't tell whether it was human or canine. But when he heard a tiny yelp come from the back of the cavern, he focused his eyes on the dark shapes that hardly moved at the back of the cavern.

A faint whisper reached his ears, making his heart leap with joy as his eyes grew used to the dark. He could see a tiny pup curled up next to a much larger shape. The body was stretched out in an abnormal shape for a dog. Axel was almost next to the body when he heard the whisper again, but this time louder. "Axel?" Larxene asked as she slowly tried to lift her head off the ground.

"Larxene? You're human again!" Axel said with excitement as the shape of Larxene's human body became visible to his eyes. Larxene tiredly wrapped an arm around Axel's neck and pulled his lips close to hers. He kissed her tenderly and she returned the kiss. They kissed for a few minutes, and then broke apart for air. Axel could now see the features of Larxene's face in the glow of sunlight seeping in from the cavern entrance.

"I am so happy to see you Larxene, to see your human self" Axel said lovingly as he wrapped Larxene in his arms, she curled up against his body and started kissing his neck. "I am so happy to be able to talk to you again. I hated not being able to understand you all the time" she said quietly as she nuzzled his chin.

Neither one wanted to let go of the other. They both enjoyed the bliss they felt at this moment. Axel hugged Larxene tightly, trying desperately not to cry. But the soft sound of quick breaths made Axel wonder if someone else was.

Axel pulled himself away from Larxene and gazed upon her face that was wet with tears. "What's wrong Larxene?!" Axel asked curiously, these were not tears of happiness; they were tears of sorrow and fear. Larxene tried to pull herself together as she said "we can't give the pup to Kurt. He will find out sooner or late about the transformation thing when the pup changes into a human, and how are we going to explain me being human?" she said quickly.

Axel lowered his site to the floor, thinking deeply about their situation. Larxene tried to say something else but it was lost in words that she continued to repeat over and over again, each time saying less of the word until finally fading off into sobs.

Axel hugged her again, trying to calm her down long enough for her to finish her sentence. When Larxene finally settled down she said "I can't leave her, I can't… can't… I can't leave the pup. She is my child and I can't leave her" she repeated. Axel didn't know what to do, in the back of his mind he knew this was going to happen. There was a reason why mothers bond so quickly with their children, it was for survival and as Larxene had been a wolf when she gave birth to the pup, that bond was stronger.

"What would we do with the pup though?" he asked her, Larxene's face lit up at the acceptance of her wishes. "We could keep her as a pet until she changes into a human, and then we could raise her as our own. She could be your child too" Larxene said slowly. Axel was a bit surprised at the fact that she had already thought this through, but the idea of having a child with Larxene was one that he had thought about for a while. Even if he wasn't the child's biological father, he could still be her dad.

Then a thought struck Axel's head, "it's a girl?" he asked, feeling a bit stupid at not bringing up this subject earlier. Larxene nodded, her face was practically beaming at him. "Thought of a name yet" he asked with a smile. A large smile spread across Larxene's face. "Rica, short for Ulrica which means 'power of the wolf, power of the home'" she explained. Axel gave her a loving smile and said "Rica it is".

**Figuring out a name for her was hard, I wanted something that meant 'wolf' but there are only like 7 names and most of them didn't really work with the story. I hope you like the name I did pick for her!**


	3. After Rica is born

**So here is chapter 3, I am so sorry I took so long. I had it finished months ago but I got seriously sidetracked, damn homework! So enjoy and plz review, no one is saying anything and I am becoming less and less inspired to continue writing this story, if no one likes it then continue the way you are going but if you want me to keep going then plz at least say something, otherwise there is no point it writing this story if no one wants to read it.**

For the next month, Axel and the rest of the pack spent their time teaching Rica about the world and the skills she would need. Serafine, the grey she-wolf, would stay with Larxene and Axel to take care of Rica when Carlos and Faolan went hunting. Larxene on the other hand would spend her days practice changing her form from human to wolf and back. Once again Larxene took on her brilliant snow coloured fur and sharp paws, she was getting so good at it now that she could change shape in a matter of seconds.

She trotted up to Axel and playfully scratched his leg. "Wow, you're really getting the hang of that aren't you?" he said and to his great surprise she answered "I think I'm close to mastering it". Axel stood there with his mouth open, "you can talk in your canine form?" he said. Larxene nodded and said "I think that its because I have better control over the power now where as when I was pregnant, my powers had gone into lock down like that old man said" she explained. Axel smiled happily at his love as she changed her shape once more into a human and kissed him passionately on the lips.

After about two and a half months after Rica had been born, the whole pack took her outside the cavern on her first hunt. Rica had wandered outside the cavern before but she had never gone more then a mile away from the safety of the den.

Rica was really excited and she wouldn't stop jumping about, probably had something to do with her human side, half and form. Larxene had taken to changing into her wolf form when teaching Rica as she was new to the truth of her…difference, and she had not yet learnt how to use her power of human speech.

"So when I grow up I'll be able to be human like you too mum?" Rica asked as she slid under Larxene's furry belly. Larxene rolled her eyes, Rica just wouldn't drop the subject of being special and it was starting to irritate her mother.

"Well hopefully before you're 8 months old" Larxene told her energetic daughter. It had been discussed among the adults about Rica's growth rate. While she was a pup she would grow at that rate, but once she was old enough to change form, she would slow down to the growth rate of any normal person.

The pack travelled to the far corner of the forest where Kurt had built a deer enclosure with a hole in the fence only large enough for a wolf to slip through.

Larxene had never hunted big animals before so she stayed back with Rica to simply observe. Rica was too young to participate in the hunt herself. They sat and watched as Carlos, Serafine and Faolan slipped through the hole, scratching some loose fur off as they passed through it. They split up and circled the calm herd; their presence had not been noticed yet.

Carlos slipped into the long grass and hung his belly against the ground as he crawled towards the herd's main escape route. Serafine took the opposite side and, using her spiked grey fur, she curled through the grey coloured trunks of the trees. Faolan made his way deep into the grass; he began circling the herd watching carefully for the young, old, sick and injured. He noticed a large stag trotting proudly among the herd, he stood tall and proud but behind him he dragged a limp leg.

Faolan eyed the stag hungrily and crept towards the closest deer to him. The stag had wandered away from the herd and was now unknowingly walking slowly towards Faolan. Faolan could almost taste the deer, and then he jumped into the air and wrapped his front legs around the stag's neck while landing on the stag's back. The stag reared and kicked, desperately trying to get the wolf off his back but that only caused him to miss the second wolf coming at him.

Serafine came out of now where and snapped her jaws onto the stag's throat, biting down hard and badly injuring the large animal. The stag was strong despite its bad leg, and it kept fighting the wolves in his back and throat. But when Carlos joined the fight, it was all too much for the poor stag. The three wolves pulled the stag down to the ground; there was no longer anything the stag could do.

One quick bite off the neck and stag was dead. Faolan, being Carlos's younger brother and something of the omega of the pack, licked his lips proudly as he enjoyed his moment of importance after making the kill. Carlos and the others dragged the stag back to the fence and through the hole. Rica jumped about, "when do I get to do that mum?" she asked while wrapping herself lovingly around her mother's legs.

Larxene just smiled, she had answered this question a few times already and she knew that if she answered it, it would only encourage Rica to come out with more questions. The pack ate the stage happily; they ignored ranks as they weren't really clear.

When Rica was 6 months old, Larxene and Axel had decided that it was time to leave Kurt's grounds, however, Kurt had a different idea. "You can't leave. The pup isn't even 8 months old yet and she's mine anyway" Kurt agued, Axel realised that they had not told Kurt the truth about the pup yet.

"Kurt, the pup isn't Carlos's, she never was. Larxene was pregnant before before we ever came to you, so the pup is hers" Axel explained, Kurt was astonished by this information, or so he looked.

"Well then stay at least one more night so that I and the rest of the pack can bid you a proper farewell" Kurt said in a surprisingly happy tone. He should be outraged but instead he was polite and generous. Axel and Larxene looked at each other, maybe they could stay just one more night, and they had been here this long so there's no harm in a goodbye party.

But that night as they all slept in the cavern; Rica woke in the middle of the night. She was shaking and she could not sleep. Rica crawled over to her mother and nudged her gently. "What is it Rica?" Larxene asked tiredly, while still half asleep. "I had a bad dream, the forest was on fire and the pack were missing" Rica said slowly, Larxene opened her eyes and looked down upon her frightened daughter.

She wasn't sure what to say so instead she licked Rica on the forehead and nuzzled her. But as she was about to go back to sleep, Larxene noticed something strange about the cavern; the pack was missing. She looked around the empty cavern; she and Rica were the only ones in the cavern; as Axel slept in a tent close by.

Larxene stood up and walked to the entrance of the dark cave, but as she made her way she stopped in fear. At the entrance to the cavern was a glow of red light, and the first thought that came to Larxene's head was _fire!._


	4. Snow trips and Fires

**Here is the next chapter, I am sorry I took so long, my computer stuffed up and i rebuild everything. Well most of it, all ways keep backups.**

**So thank you all for your reviews and thank you for being loyal readers. **

Larxene dashed back into the cavern, she spun around behind Rica and clamped her jaws on the loose skin at the back of Rica's neck. Rica gave a surprised whelp as her mother lifted her into the air. Larxene then ran directly at the entrance to the cavern and jumped over the line of fire that had blocked it.

She looked around her at the burning forest, there were burning branches fallen every where. Pieces of burning leaves and twigs were flying about in the strong wind that was only encouraging the burning flames.

Larxene quickly studied her surroundings and spotted a safe path through the fire. She jogged carefully down the narrow path, shifting her muzzle from side to side to keep Rica away from the embers. She made it out of the thicket of the forest, but the path she had taken had led her to the tip of a cliff. Below her was the river, crashing violently at the rocks that stood above the surface.

Larxene turned her head around and saw flames crawling towards her feet. She looked straight ahead and tried to clear her mind of the flames behind her. She placed her front paws on the tip of the cliff and leaned forward as her rear paws kicked off hard from the edge of the rock. She dived into the air, holding her legs tightly against her body to give her more speed.

Her front paws landed on the burnt grass. She looked around for a way to escape into the town but she was trapped. She placed Rica on the ground and lifted her head up to the starry sky; she took in a deep breath and let out a fearful howl that echoed into the night. The sound seemed to make the flicking sounds of the fire douse down at command.

Rica sat between her mother's paws, looking up at her mother as she cried into the night. The howl went for several minutes, until footsteps could be heard over the fire. Someone was coming right at them.

Larxene lowered her head slightly, her ears flat against her head and snarled. Rica pushed her back against her mother's belly, trying to hide underneath it. They could see the figure now, a silhouette against the flames running fearlessly through the fire. As the figure got closer, Larxene stopped snarling and began barking in order to lead the figure towards them.

Axel came out of the flames; his own wall of fire was blocking the wild fire, clearing a safe path through the excruciating heat. Axel fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around Larxene who placed her front paws on his shoulders. Axel let go and stood up, facing the fire that threatened to bury them all.

Rica was relieved to see Axel, but she still whelped and fidgeted as the heat wrapped around her fur, singeing the tips. Larxene picked Rica up by the scruff of the neck and followed Axel through the fire. The wild fire bashed at Axel's fire walls, but it could hardly touch it.

The small group ran through the guided pathway, as they made it to the front gate of the grounds. Larxene stopped and turned around; she looked sorrowfully at the burning enclosures. Axel looked down at her and followed the same sad gaze. "I hope the others got out of there, but why didn't they wake me and Rica?" Larxene said quietly. Axel pondered on the same question; a pack works together to protect each other and stay loyal to the others through thick and thin.

"Come on Larx, lets go home" Axel said as he turned his back on the flames. Larxene was about to do the same when she stopped and poked an ear high up. Axel raised an eyebrow, he hadn't seen her do this before. Larxene slowly lowered Rica onto the ground while still holding her ear up.

Once she was sure of what she had heard she spun around and dashed back into the fire as fast as lightening. Axel froze still in surprise; he had almost forgotten how fast Larxene was. Once he snapped back into reality he picked up Rica and opened a portal, which Zexion stepped out of. "Axel! Thank god your ok, where's Larxene?" he said as he sighed a relief to know that his mate was safe and sound.

Axel placed Rica into Zexion's hands as he turned to run after Larxene. "I'll explain later! Just get Rica to safety!" he yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared into the flames. Zexion held Rica safely against his chest as he watched after Axel. He looked down at Rica and said "what was I thinking that he was safe and sound?" then he stepped back through the portal.

Axel wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but he could hear Larxene's howls from miles away. He followed them to a half burnt tent; he dashed inside without a second thought. When he crawled into the wreck he looked around for Larxene. He could hardly see through the red embers as they flicked against his face, licking dangerously at his exposed skin. The smoke was thick and fatal as it sucked down his throat, he could hardly breathe.

Axel called through the wreck, hoping that Larxene could hear him but he doubted it. But just when he was about to faint, a snowy shape followed by a smoky one came running towards him. He was instinctively on guard and he managed to get to his knees. But he relaxed when the shapes took the forms of Larxene and Serafine.

But as he had relaxed, his body succumbed to his loss of strength and he fell to the floor. He closed his eyes and lost conciseness. When he woke he was on one of the couches in the meeting room at castle Oblivion. He tried to sit up but a pair of strong hands pushed him back down.

Axel looked up and saw Larxene in her human form sitting above him. A smile of relief grew across his face; he was so relieved to know she was safe. But Larxene wasn't smiling. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have choked to death or even burnt if that's at all possible" Larxene said angrily.

Axel realised how stupid he had been, he should at least have had back-up. Axel looked embarrassed, like a child who was being lectured. Larxene's face softened at this, she knew he was only trying to make sure that she was safe. She bent down and slid her arms under Axel's neck. Axel wrapped his arms over her back and embraced her tightly, followed by a quick kiss.

Larxene leaned back and slipped her hand into Axel's, she didn't look very cheerful with the news for him. "I ran back into the fire because I heard Serafine calling for help, it was very hard to pick up but she was in trouble. She had gotten stuck under a plank of wood that had fallen from the inside of the tent. I helped her free and saw you on the floor; you were completely out of it. So Serafine and I dragged you to safety by your sleeves, then I took human shape and opened a portal to here. I don't know what happened to the others though. I was so pleased to find my Rica here waiting for me, thank you for getting Zexion" Larxene explained. Axel smiled, "well I wasn't going to leave her on her own out there, she might have come looking for us or gotten lost" Axel told her.

Suddenly, a grey she-wolf and a black pup came running into the room. Rica placed her front paws on the couch as her tail wagged furiously behind her. Serafine sat down next to the couch and just watched Axel. He stroked the back of Rica's head; she closed her eyes and flicked her tongue in pleasure. Larxene smiled as she Axel and Rica form a bond; she had hoped this would happen.

All day, Larxene worried about Carlos and the others, they had been such good friends and yet she had left them in the fire. Axel tried to convince her that she had done nothing wrong and that they were probably still alive. But Serafine had other ideas, instead of calming Larxene she told her the story of what she had seen, she being the only one who managed to escape. That hardly helped as Larxene began to worry that they were still on the grounds, alive but only just.

This went on for a few days but once Rica started trying to get attention from Larxene, she realised that Rica needed her and that the past had already happened. A month past and Rica had grown tremendously. She had changed form for the first time, and Axel and Larxene couldn't stop looking at her. Rica was the about 7 years old as a human, thin graceful body, tall and stunningly beautiful. She had blue eyes like her mother, and long wavy black hair that would slide like silk back and forth on her shoulders.

Serafine had been a little overly excited when Rica changed form, and since then she had been spending lots of time with her. Larxene had noticed certain things about her daughter over the past month. Rica seemed to have hidden powers, physic dreams that predicted future or present events and the power of many languages. She learnt quickly and was very smart. She taught herself a lot of things such as the ability to talk to Serafine in human form.

The rest of the Organization watched over the girl with proud eyes, seeing the little bits of themselves that they had taught to Larxene that she in return had taught to Rica. Axel always glowed when she was around, but sometimes Larxene would notice him with a saddened look on Rica. She had asked him about it once but he had denied it completely. But Larxene was smart as well and she guessed that it was because Rica wasn't really his daughter, all her talents, all her wonders were either from Larxene or Calax and there wasn't really very much of him in her.

One day, as Larxene, Rica and Serafine were sitting in the meeting room in wolf forms, Serafine started acting rather strangely. She would kick her legs or bounce her muzzle open and closed. If she had been asleep it wouldn't be so weird but as she was wide awake and alert these actions were very suspicious.

Larxene had been talking about going on a holiday somewhere, this was when Serafine had perked up and said "I know a great place in the mountains. It's the best when it snows. It is beautiful and there is so much to see" she said, Larxene wasn't so sure at first, she had never been to a snow-capped mountain and she wasn't really sure how much of a holiday it was.

Axel of course had sided with Serafine, saying that snow was a lot of fun by its self, and his fire would keep them warm during the nights. "Come on mum, it sounds like a whole lot of fun. Please…" Rica begged, she wanted to explore the world and a trip to the snow sounded like a great start. So Larxene finally gave in, "Ok, we're going to the snow!"

**So thats another chapter to this long story, this chapter certainly opens up questions. Like why Serafine was so insistant to go to the snow, why she is the only one here and where I get all these names from. Well I can answer the last one, all the names except for Kurt, I got off a site where they tell you the names and their meanings, it is really useful and they have some really bizarre names. I promise I won't take so long with the next chapter so sit tight.**


	5. Friend or Foe

**Hi once again, I'm very sorry for taking so long to update, I know its been like a year and I don't have a good excuse. I lost interest in Larxel stories and started watching Buffy, but I got the story planned out now...well at least for another 3 chapters but I'm not very sure how its going to end, but it will come to me eventurally.**

The day started slowly, the light from the sun shone brightly through the windows of the black castle. Axel and Larxene rushed about from room to room, hunting down all the bags and putting them in a pile near the door.

Serafine scratched the back of her ear with her foot, and then brought her foot down to her shoulder. She was pretty bored, she didn't have any belongings to take with her and so she had nothing to do for the first 3 hours of the morning.

Rica jumped up and down as she excitedly watched her mother and adoptive father pack and pillage from the other members of the Organization. But as the hours passed by, she fell asleep on the floor, tired out before the vacation had begun.

When the bags were all packed and they were all ready to go, Larxene, Axel, Serafine and Rica walked through a portal to a snow-capped mountain called "White Towers".

As their feet stepped lightly into the cold, white snow, Larxene turned to Serafine and asked her "why is it called "White Towers"? I mean, there aren't any towers I can see" her voice came out in growls and barks. Axel shot a peculiar look at his lover, "wait, so you can talk wolf in human form now? When did that happen?" he asked her, but Larxene only smiled.

Serafine looked up at Larxene and began to make all sorts of dog noises, growls, barks, whines and a strange sound like a cat's purr. _"It was given that name 100s of years ago, back when the mountain had a sister. The two mountains grew from the same spot, like a fork. But long ago in the middle of a huge battle that was held on top these mountains, the sister was completely destroyed. But because this mountain is hardly known, it kept its original name" _came Serafine's voice in Larxene's head as she translated it.

Rica, who had changed into wolf form, had found her self sitting in front of Serafine, looking up at her with hopeful eyes. "Will you us the story of the sister mountain?" she asked. Serafine smiled and nodded, "later".

The group walked for hours through the frosty forest, Serafine leading the way to a favourite spot. Rica hopped from paw print to paw print; jumping from the hole to hole that Serafine's paws were leaving behind. Larxene smiled in amusement as she watched her little girl enjoy the world so much, she wanted so much to keep her from the dark people but she knew that with a spirit like Rica's, that world wouldn't stay hidden for long.

As the group walked through the silent snow, Larxene's mind wandered to thoughts of Carlos and Faolan. She wondered if they were even alive, or if they had perished in the fire. She saw Carlos in her mind, the great black wolf with such a cheeky grin, hiding something behind all the kindness. Then suddenly the large black figure of Calax stepped into her mind.

She tried to push him out but something stopped her, Carlos and Calax looked a lot alike. They both had the same musclier shape, ebony black fur and scorching eyes. But then she quickly forgot the whole thing, _Calax and Carlos aren't even connected, besides Carlos is…or was…just a regular wolf where as Calax was a shape-shifter_ she told her self. But the tiniest hint of suspicion sat in the back of her mind.

A howl of triumph sounded through the trees as Serafine announced their arrival. In front of them stood a strange cave-like sculpture of trees and branches. A collection of small trees grew inwards together, making a cave of sticks and stones.

Serafine trotted through the snow up to the cave and sniffed about carefully, and then walked inside. Rica followed joyfully after her and disappeared into the darkness that loomed inside within minutes. Larxene looked up at Axel; there was no way that he was going to fit inside the small cubby.

"So, I'll make a little tent just outside shall I?" Axel said as he walked over to the entrance of the cubby and started moving sticks and branches about into the shape of a tee-pee. Larxene giggled at her lover's strange attempt at making a shelter.

Late that night, Larxene and Serafine teamed up and went hunting for some dinner, as Serafine knew the best hunting spots. Mean while, Axel and Rica gathered wood to make a campfire. Rica carried a handful of twigs in her muzzle which she held up with pride, she dropped them in a heap a few feet from the cave and tent. Axel did the same, only he had many more branches.

He looked down at the pile of wood and brought a grin across his face. He held out his hands over the pile and flicked his fingers, and at beat, red, roaring flames erupted from the centre of the sticks. He watched in delight as the embers crawled up the branches and flamed up into the air.

Serafine sniffed along the ground, burying her black nose deep into the snow. The white wolf behind her followed dutifully, not knowing the terrain as well as Serafine. Larxene sniffed the air in search of some scent that would make a hiding animal's presence known. And then she caught the scent of another animal, but it wasn't prey like she had expected, it was predator.

"Serafine" she whispered, getting the grey she-wolf's attention. "What is it?" she asked, noticing Larxene's complete concentration on a shadow in the woods. "There's something else out here, are there any native wolves that live on this mountain?" Larxene asked quietly. Serafine shook her head, "no, the weather here is too cold; there isn't enough prey for any wolves to live here" she explained.

Larxene tensed up, feeling the fur on the back of her neck stand. Her body moved into a fighting stance, ready to be attacked by the unknown predator. Her claws dug into the snow, down to the ground where they gripped to the rocks and dirt below. She bowed her head and bared her teeth. Growling fiercely, her ears flattened and her nose switched, trying to pick up the scent strong enough for her to identify the animal.

Serafine however didn't move at all, she simply sat in the snow and watched Larxene. The shadow on the trees began to move, changing into a solid shape. Its dark paws padded calmly through the snow, completely ignorant to Larxene's threats.

Then the sun shone down on the figure, revealing long, shiny, black fur that went from the tip of the paws up to the ears. Two gold eyes stared into Larxene's sapphire blue ones, but they didn't shout threats or even curiosity. Larxene stopped growling and watched the creature carefully, but still on guard.

But when the animal walked into the sun completely, Larxene stared in wonder. The strong, proud black coat shone dimly in the light, his black ears twitched in delight and his muzzle grinned proudly. Carlos approached the pair with his head high, not a scratch on him.

"Carlos? You're alive! How did you escape the fire?" Larxene asked quickly. Carlos gave her a cheeky grin and padded on past her. Serafine stood up and brushed her head against Carlos's, they greeted each other with joy and calmness, unlike what Larxene had expected as they had thought that he was dead.

Carlos licked Serafine's muzzle and turned to stand by her side, he then sat down and looked directly at Larxene. "So you thought I was dead, nice to know you lost faith in me so soon" he said with a laugh. Larxene tilted her head to the side, confused and suspicious.

She was about to say something back but the evil grin on Carlos's face forced her to silence. Serafine sat close to Carlos, rubbing her head against his neck in a loving expression. The look in his eyes was full of triumph and knowing.

Larxene took a step back, but she froze when she heard the low growls that were surrounding her. She turned her head to see three other wolves standing behind and to both sides. The largest one was grey, black, old and some how familiar, the second one was brown and red; she recognized him as Faolan, but the last one was gold and; Larxene realised that she had never seen this she-wolf before.

She turned back to Carlos and Serafine showing anger and the feeling of stupidity on her face. She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it sooner, she had been battling enemies for years, picking out friend from foe successfully and yet she had been completely blind-sighted to the tricksters that had been around her for months.

"What do you want with me? What have I done to deserve to be turned on like this, to be betrayed" she asked the black wolf. Carlos turned his head to Serafine and nuzzled her, then looked back at Larxene, "you have something we want, something that belongs to us" he told her. "What is that? I don't have anything of yours" she said, but Carlos was not convinced, "oh, I think you do".

He singled to Serafine and she walked off into the forest, and that's when Larxene noticed she was headed in the direction of the camp. She tried to go after her but Carlos was quick to his feet, barring her way with teeth and claws. Larxene considered the idea of taking him on, but the other three wolves surrounding her made her think twice.

Back at the camp, Axel and Rica sat by the fire. Axel was watching the fire dance around, telling stories only the pyro could understand. While her father was distracted, Rica sat quietly in the cubby, concentrating hard on the want and ability to change form. She closed her eyes and wished to be human; she dug through her mind to find the knowledge hidden deep inside that told her how to do it.

Then it happened, Rica felt her fur shorten as it shrunk into tiny hairs that covered her arms and legs. Her muzzle flattened into her face, leaving bare lips and nose. Her skin brightened and long brown hair grew from the top of her head. Her bushy tail disappeared and her claws changed into sharp nails. Her belly thinned and her ears slid down to the sides of her head. When she opened her eyes, the gold marbles that had previously glowed in the night had morphed into eyes the colour of the moon.

She kneels in the dark and cold, suddenly freezing as the icy frost brushes against her bare skin. Rica curls up and searches the floor for a blanket, she finds one and wraps it around her shoulders but it isn't enough. Already her hands are turning purple and it scares her to death.

In an urgent attempt for warmth she unzipped Larxene's bag, she dug through the clothes and found a small pair of jeans and a red long sleeved shirt. She pulled the shirt over her head and pulled on the jeans, she was surprised to find that they fit her perfectly. She pulled out a fur coat and slid her arms through the sleeves and did up the zipper.

Rica relaxed as her body began to warm up, she breathed quickly and shivered. But once she was warm enough the thought of her humanity began to sink in. She stared wide-eyed at her bare hands, her bony fingers and fine nails. Her lips sunk into a wide smile that turned into a laugh.

The sound of her laughter brought Axel to the door of the cubby; he looked in and was amazed by what he saw. A young, brunette teenager sat curled up in the clothes that Larxene had packed in case this happened. Axel smiled proudly and crawled inside the cubby.

Rica looked up at Axel who crawled over to her and sat in front of her, a big smile crossed his face. "So, now you're all grown up or as grown up as a 13 year old can be" he said happily. Rica smiled, and Axel was stunned. Rica had her mother's smile and beauty, her pale eyes could see through your soul and her figure was that of a princess.

"You look so much like your mother Rica" he told her, but his smile faded a little. Rica noticed this and smiled. "But I can _be_ so much like you" she told him, and Axel laughed. Rica moved forward and gave him a hug, which he returned. So many thoughts went through his mind in that moment, the promise to raise and protect this girl as if she was his own.

Then a familiar bark came from outside the cubby, and Rica and Axel crawled outside to greet Serafine. But as Axel stood up he noticed that Rica had changed back into her wolf form, the little black pup stood at his feet.

Axel greeted Serafine with a smile, but he frowned when he realised that Larxene wasn't any where to be seen. He looked down at Rica and Serafine and longed to be able to speak wolf. "Rica, come with me, there's some people I want you to meet" Serafine said to the girl, completely unaware of the change she had recently taken on. Rica nodded and looked up at her father; she barked and then stood up. Serafine turned and started walking back the way she had come, and Rica followed her. Axel stood in the snow, completely blind to the trick that was being played right in front of his eyes.

**So I hope you enjoyed that, there's much more to come.**


End file.
